As the General Strike gets underway, Kate takes up a case from 10 years before in which Lucian's deceased aunt was sure the wrong man was convicted and hanged.

There were lots of references to one of Kate's previous cases which I didn't remember that well as the backstory for one of the characters. They didn't get in the way of the mystery but were annoying. ( )

I was quite thrilled when I was given a chance to read the latest Kate Shackleton book since this is a series I have been meaning to try out but never got to.

Amateur sleuth Kate Shackleton and her niece Harriet is on holiday in the little village of Langcliffe. Harriet has recently recovered from diphtheria and Kate thought it would be good for her to get away from the town and spend two weeks in the country. Kate is also planning to spend some time with Lucian Simonson, the local doctor to see if they have a future together and it is his late aunt's house they are living in during their stay. But it seems that Lucian aunt all along wanted to meet Kate and to get Kate to help her clear an innocent man's name. It seems that 10 years prior to the present day in the book a man was killed and Freda witness the murderer, but she is convinced that the wrong man was convicted. Now it seems that Kate has a new mission.

This is the kind of book you want to curl up in the sofa with and with a large cup of tea or coffee. It's a cozy mystery book and it was no problem whatsoever getting into the story and get to know the characters. I did think the pacing of the book was a bit slow and I felt that not much happened for a while in the book other than Kate trying to find out the truth about the murder and looking after Harriet. The town's people are quite convinced that the right man was convicted for the murder and it's been ten years since the murder so Kate hasn't got that much to go on. So much of the book was spent trying to find anyone that would have motive and means to kill the poor man. But towards the ending it got better when it pieces started to come to together. And, Frances Brody really manages to write an ending I never expected. I'm really impressed with that.

One thing I reflected on while I read the book was that Kate didn't seem that in love with Lucian. She is contemplating a future as a doctor's wife, but I really didn't feel any passion between them. It felt more like two old friends when they were together. I have only read this book, but I feel that she really needs someone more passionate than Lucian. I hope she finds him.

It was a good book. I enjoyed reading it. The pacing could have been better, but I do look forward to reading more books in this series especially the books before because I curious to learn more about Kate and her family.

Thank you Piatkus for providing me with a free copy for an honest review! ( )

Kate Shackleton has been invited by her friend Dr. Lucian Simonson to stay with her niece Harriet at his late Aunt Freda’s home in the Yorkshire Dales, an invitation doubly appealing to Kate because Harriet is recovering from a bout of diphtheria and because she and Lucian have tentatively been courting and this visit might move their relationship in a new direction. Once there, however, Kate is approached by the local pharmacist Mr. Wigglesworth, an elderly man who had been great friends with Freda and who knew that Freda had very much wanted to meet Kate before her death because of a murder case 10 years previously in which Freda had been certain that the convicted (and subsequently hanged) man had been innocent; knowing of Kate’s investigative successes, Freda hoped that Kate would want to investigate this miscarriage of justice. Before she knows it, Kate is embroiled not only in that “cold case,” but also in the unexpected death of a local farmer and the disappearance of a mistreated farmhand, despite the fact that Lucian wants her to have nothing to do with any of these cases…. Once again Ms. Brody has brought us a well-researched historical novel set in rural Yorkshire of the 1920s, complete with intrigue, secrets and, well, a romance for Kate. How she deals with all of this, both in her professional capacity and her personal life, comprises the meat of the story, and the investigations kept me guessing throughout the book. I’ve noted before that I don’t think these books need to be read in order (this is the seventh in the series) and that is true here; but the reader who has read the previous novels will have a much better understanding of the relationships between Kate, Lucian, Harriet and others, which will enhance the story that much more. Recommended. ( )

This is my first read from the series and the tale is set in 1926, when Mrs Kate Shackleton takes her niece for a holiday in the village of Langcliffe. In the home of her friend Dr Lucien Simonson late aunt, the aunt who ten years previously had witnessed a murder but her testimony was discredited. So while investigating Kate uncovers a few secrets.
I enjoyed this gentle murder mystery, and found it very easy and descriptive read. I liked the main characters, and look forward to start reading the series from Book One.
A NetGalley Book. ( )

This was a very engrossing story. I actually found the secondary story of the troubles of the teenagers more interesting than the main plot of a cold case. Kate takes her 14 yr. old niece to the Dales to recover from whooping cough. They are staying at the cottage of Kate’s boyfriend’s aunt who recently passed away and left him her home. Freda witnessed a murder years ago and gave testimony at a trial that the wrong man was arrested, accused and later found guilty. Freda was then ostracized by the village since the dead man was well liked. Kate’s niece Harriet is introduced to another girl whose 14 yr. brother has been placed at a farm and has been mistreated and run away.

There was a real twist at the end. ( )